The new 15.1MP EOS 500D which offers photographers an outstanding combination of features. Following the launch of the first Canon EOS camera to shoot movies – the EOS 5D Mark II in September 2008 – Canon now brings Full High Definition (HD) video capability to consumers in a compact and lightweight DSLR.
The EOS 500D heralds a new way for photography enthusiasts to capture their world. It pairs outstanding still image capture with Full HD 1080P video recording. For longer video shoots, users can also choose lower shooting resolutions of 720P or VGA.
Features at a glance:
- 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
- Full HD movie recording with HDMI connection for viewing and playback on an HDTV
- ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 12800)
- 3.4 frames per second continuous shooting
- Max. 170 large JPEG images in a single burst
- 3.0” ClearView LCD with Live View mode
- 9-point wide area AF with cross type centre point
- High speed DIGIC 4 performance and superb image quality
- EOS Integrated Cleaning System
- Full compatibility with Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites, including new Speedlite 270EX, TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II
15.1 MP CMOS sensor
Ideal for those who want to create large, poster-size prints – or crop images to perfection without losing any of the detail necessary for printing – Canon’s 15.1MP CMOS sensor is outstanding in low light, and produces images with incredibly low noise.
Full HD movie recording
The EOS 500D combines exceptional still shooting with the ability to shoot Full HD (1080p) video. For occasions when larger amounts of footage need to be stored on a memory card, users can also choose to shoot at 720p or VGA resolution. An HDMI connection allows High Definition playback of footage and images on any HDTV.
High ISO for low light
When light levels fall, the EOS 500D offers an ISO range of up to 3200 – expandable to 12800 for those environments where using flash is undesirable.
3.4fps with up to 170 JPEG burst
The EOS 500D features shooting speeds of up to 3.4fps in continuous bursts of up to 170 large JPEG images (9 RAW).
3.0” Clear View LCD with Live View mode
Detailed checks on images and video are possible with a 3.0” ClearView LCD screen, which features an ultra-high 920,000 dots for increased clarity. Switch to Live View mode and use the real-time visual feed to shoot from awkward angles.
9-point AF system
A high-precision AF system employs 9 AF points AF Points are located throughout the frame to better accommodate off-centre subjects. For accurate focusing with fast aperture lenses, the central AF point features a high sensitivity cross-type sensor, suitable for lenses with an aperture of f/2.8 or faster.
DIGIC 4
Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor works with the CMOS sensor to deliver 14-bit image processing, for smooth gradations and natural looking colours. DIGIC 4 also powers advanced Noise Reduction when shooting at higher ISO speeds, plus split-second startup times and near-instant image review after shooting.
EOS Integrated Cleaning System
Canon’s built-in dust prevention system offers three ways of guarding images against the effects of dust: reduction of internal dust generation; an in-camera sensor cleaning mechanism; and the ability to map stubborn dust sports for removal with the included Digital Photo Professional software.
Full EF/EF-S and EX Speedlite compatibility
The EOS 500D is compatible with Canon’s full range of EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites. This allows the creation of a shooting system as unique as the photographer using it.
| Technical Specifications for Canon EOS 500D | ||
| Type | ||
| Type | Digital, single-lens reflex, AF/AE camera | |
| Recording medium | SD and SDHC card | |
| Compatible lenses | Canon EF lenses (including EF-S lenses) | |
| Lens Mount | Canon EF mount | |
| Image Sensor | ||
| Type | CMOS sensor | |
| Effective Pixels | Approx. 15.10 megapixels | |
| Image Sensor Size | 22.3mm x 14.9mm | |
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | |
| Dust deletion feature | Auto, Manual, Dust Delete Data appending | |
| Recording System | ||
| Recording format | Design rule for Camera File System 2.0 | |
| Image type | JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon original) RAW + JPEG simultaneous recording possible MOV | |
| Recording pixels | (1) Large: Approx. 15.10 megapixels (4752 x 3168) (2) Medium: Approx. 8.00 megapixels (3456 x 2304) (3) Small: Approx. 3.70 megapixels (2352 x 1568) (4) RAW: Approx. 15.10 megapixels (4752 x 3168) | |
| File numbering | Consecutive numbering, auto reset and manual reset | |
| Imaging Processor | ||
| Picture Style | Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Def. 1-3 | |
| White Balance | Auto (AWB), daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten, light, white fluorescent light, flash, custom (custom WB) | |
| Noise Reduction | Applicable to long exposures and high ISO speed shots | |
| Automatic Image Brightness Correction | Auto Lighting Optimizer with Face Detection | |
| Highlight Tone Priority | Provided | |
| Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction | Provided | |
| Colour Space | sRGB, Adobe RGB | |
| Viewfinder | ||
| Type | Eye-level pentamirror | |
| Coverage | Vertical/Horizontal approx. 95% | |
| Magnification | Approx. 0.87 x (-1m-1 with 50mm lens at infinity) | |
| Eyepoint | Approx. 19mm (From eyepiece lens center at -1m-1) | |
| Built-in dioptric adjustment | -3.0 - +1.0 m-1dpt | |
| Focusing screen | Fixed | |
| Mirror | Quick-return type | |
| Depth-of-field preview | Enabled with depth-of-field preview button | |
| Autofocus | ||
| Type | TTL secondary image-registration, phase detection | |
| AF Points | 9 | |
| AF Working Range | EV -0.5 - 18 (at 23°C/73°F, ISO 100) | |
| Focusing Modes | One-Shot AF, AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF, Manual focusing | |
| AF-assist beam | Intermittent firing of built-in flash Effective range: Approx. 4.0m/13.1 ft. at center, approx 3.5m/11.5ft at periphery (with an EOS-dedicated Speedlite attached, the Speedlite’s AF-assist beam is emitted instead) | |
| Exposure Control | ||
| Metering Modes | TTL full aperture metering with 35-zone SPC (1) Evaluative metering (linkable to all AF points) (2) Partial metering (approx. 9% of viewfinder at center) (3) Spot metering (center, approx. 4% viewfinder) (4) Center-weighted average metering | |
| Metering range | EV 1-20 (at 23°C/73°F with EF50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100) | |
| Exposure control | Program AE, shutter-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, depth-of-field AE, full auto (Program AE non-shiftable), Programmed Image Control Modes (Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, Flash OFF), manual exposure (including bulb), E-TTL II autoflash program AE (evaluative & average metering) | |
| ISO Speed (Recommended exposure index) | ISO 100-3200 (whole-stop increments), ISO expansion 6400, 12800. * In Basic Zone modes, Auto ISO sets the ISO automatically within 100-1600 *The minimum ISO speed when (highlight tone priority) is enabled will be ISO 200 | |
| Exposure compensation | +/-3 stops in 1/3-stop or 1/2-half increments, Manual and AEB correction | |
| AE lock | Auto: | Applied in One-Shot AF mode with evaluative metering when focus is achieved |
| Manual: | By AE lock button | |
| Shutter | ||
| Type | Electronically-controlled, focal-plane shutter | |
| Shutter Speeds | 1/4000 sec. to 30 sec., bulb (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode.) X-sync at 1/200 sec. | |
| Drive System | ||
| Drive modes | Single, continuous, Self-time 10sec. Delay//Remote control, self-timer 2sec. delay, Self-timer 10sec delay + continuous shooting (2 to 10 shots) | |
| Continuous shooting speed | Max. approx. 3.4 shots/sec. | |
| Max. burst | JPEG Large/Fine: Approx. 170 shots RAW: Approx. 9 shots | |
| Built in Flash | ||
| Type | Auto pop-up, retractable, built-in flash in the pentamirror | |
| Guide No. | 13/43 (at ISO 100 meters/feet) | |
| Recycle time | Approx. 3 sec | |
| Flash coverage | 17mm focal length (equivalent to 27mm in 135 format) | |
| Flash metering system | E-TTL II autoflash (evaluative, average), FE lock | |
| Live View Functions | ||
| Shooting modes | Still photo shooting and movie shooting | |
| Focusing | Quick mode (Phase-difference detection) Live mode, Live face detection mode (Contrast detection) Manual focusing (5x/10x magnification possible) | |
| Metering modes | Evaluating metering with the image sensor (still photos) / Center-weighted average metering (movies) | |
| Metering range | EV 0-20 (at 23°C/73°F with EF50mm f/1.4 lens, ISO 100) | |
| Movie | MOV (Video: H.264, Audio: Linear PCM) Recording size: 1920 x 1080:20fps (Full HD), 1280 x 720:30fps and 640 x 480:30fps (SD) Continuous movie shooting time: Full HD approx. 12 min. SD approx. 24 min. Max file size: 4GB per clip | |
| LCD Monitor | ||
| Type | TFT colour liquid-crystal monitor | |
| Monitor Size and Dots | 3-in. with approx. 920,000 dots (VGA) | |
| Coverage | Approx. 100% | |
| Brightness adjustment | Manual (7 levels) | |
| Interface languages | 25 | |
| Image Playback | ||
| Image Display Formats | Single, Single + Info (Image-recording quality, shooting information, histogram) 4-image index, 9-image index, image rotate possible | |
| Zoom Magnification | Approx. 1.5x - 10x | |
| Image Browsing Methods | Single image, jump by 10 or 100 images, jump by screen, by shooting date, by movie, by stills | |
| Highlight Alert | Overexposed highlights blink | |
| Movie Playback | Enabled (LCD monitor, video/audio OUT, HDMI OUT) Built-in speaker | |
| Direct Printing | ||
| Compatible printers | PictBridge-compatible printers | |
| Printable images | JPEG and RAW images | |
| Print Ordering | DPOF Version 1.1 compatible | |
| Interface | ||
| Digital Terminal | For personal computer communication and direct printing (Hi-Speed USB) , audio/video output (NTSC/PAL) | |
| HDMI Mini OUT Terminal | Type C (Auto switching of resolution) | |
| Remote Control Terminal | Compatible with remote control via RS-60E3 | |
| Wireless Remote Control | With Remote Controller RC-1/RC-5 | |
| Power Source | ||
| Battery | Battery Pack LP-E5 (Qty.1) *AC power can be supplied via AC Adapter Kit ACK-E5 *With Battery Grip BG-E5 attached, 6 size-AA/LR6 batteries or 2 LP-E5 battery packs can be used | |
| Battery Life (Based on CIPA testing standards) | With viewfinder shooting: At 23°C/73°F, approx. 500 shots. At 0°C/32°F, approx. 490 shots. With Live View shooting: At 23°C/73°F, approx. 190 shots. At 0°C/32°F, approx. 180 shots. | |
| Dimensions and Weight | ||
| Dimensions (W X H X D) | 128.8 x 97.5 x 61.9 mm / 5.1 x 3.8 x 2.4 in. | |
| Weight | Approx. 480g / 16.9oz. (body only) | |
| Operating Environment | ||
| Working temperature range | 0°C - 40°C / 32°F - 104°F | |
| Working humidity | 85% or less | |
